I apologize now that a blog never made it up on my site before I left for Haiti. The earthquake happened, then a few days later I heard I might be leading a team there, then I got the word it was a go and it’s been full steam ahead ever since! Clearly I need to learn how to blog in the midst of being in overdrive, because it looks like life will be busy for a while.
I will start by telling you what my part to play is in this relief effort underway through AIM, then I will begin sharing some of my experiences in Haiti over the eight days I was there. When hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, AIM mobilized a very effective and very extensive relief effort that enabled over 4000 people to get their hands dirty and their hearts engaged in the process of rebuilding a community. This situation is similar in the sense that we are once again mobilizing to come to the aid of a devastated land…only the damage extends to an entire nation! I went to Haiti February 2009, and it was devastated long before this earthquake knocked down their buildings and buried their people in the rubble. The difference in this culture from my 
own and the one just across a border in the neighboring Dominican Republic has always been stark. But as strange as it may sound, this is a unique opportunity for an entire nation who has struggled to stand on its own two feet, for them to rebuild, and re-establish the foundations that their future will be built upon.
AIM has sought the Lord in figuring out how we can best respond to God is doing and wants to do in the country of Haiti. We don’t want to presume that we innately know any answers. And we don’t want to come up with a plan and then just ask God to bless it as we dive in. We want to fall in step exactly with God’s plans here. We want to respond to Him, His leading, His broken heart for this country, His hope for their future, and His plan for how we fit into that equation. So our first move was to send in 2 groups initially. One to assess, one to serve. I led the set-up team that went into Haiti to assess and plan and strategize; and my dear friend and former squad leader Ashley Musick led the World Race Alumni team that came to serve wherever needed.
God’s timing always fascinates me…after I’ve had time to look back on how intricately He weaves our lives together to accomplish remarkable things in His timing. Before the earthquake in Haiti, I was talking with AIM about two possible positions. One, helping them develop crisis management protocols to help prepare them for the unlikely but possible event of a crisis on the field. Two, stepping into a leadership position within the Short Term Missions department of AIM. God is in the process of unifying the departments and programs under AIM’s banner, and they wanted me to help bring this branch of the body into that unity. Then Haiti happened. A crisis…that for the next year will receive short term missions teams back to back for a looooong time. I shake my head in amazement at how God was already giving me hints that this was on my horizon long before it was anywhere close to my radar.
So now, moving forward, I will be working full time with AIM. I am overseeing and managing our overall response of Haiti. I am preparing to relocate to Georgia, in order to be at the AIM headquarters. I am beginning to raise long term support for this new position God is calling me into – please HELP if you feel led). I am in the process of quickly flying through the gears to try to get in front of this movement to help set the pace for our team’s initial and long term response. As you can imagine, the pace of my life has gone from 0-60 in a moment. Please pray for me to get my mind wrapped around all that I need to comprehend and understand in order to lead well. Pray that I am able to rest in the Lord and His strength, and stay in a place of joy as we continue this initial sprint to get things in order for our long term vision for Haiti. This position will likely be the most stretching and challenging I have ever experienced…but will also likely be one of the most fulfilling. Regardless if I feel ready yet, He made me for this!
